Alabama Governor Riley Promotes Legislation to Strengthen Alabama’s DUI Law

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October 23, 2007 -- MONTGOMERY – Alabama Governor Bob Riley today promoted legislation that will strengthen Alabama’s penalties for DUI convictions and close a loophole that currently allows repeat drunk drivers to elude harsher punishments. The proposal will allow for every DUI offense to count toward felony status and not just those committed in a five-year period.

The proposed bill also doubles the minimum punishments for drunk drivers who have a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .15 or higher and increases the minimum sentence for a fourth DUI offense from ten days to 120 days. Instead of a $600 fine and a 90-day suspension of their driver’s license, drunk drivers would receive a $1,200 fine and an automatic one-year revocation of their driver’s license under the proposal. It would also increase the minimum prison sentence for a fourth DUI offense from 10 days to 120 days.

Governor Riley first offered this proposal to the Legislature during the 2007 regular session (HB 389, sponsored by Rep. Spencer Collier). That bill was never brought up for a vote. Governor Riley will resubmit the bill when the Legislature meets in February.

Source: Alabama Governor